Hot oil pump



y 5, 1932- c. w. STRATFORD 3 HOT OIL PUMP Filed Jan. 50, 1928 INV EN TOR;

markahlmfazmwd TORNEY.

Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE cmms wamom srm'rronn, orommnn, CALIFORNIA nor 011. mm

Application fled January 30, 192a. Serial 16; 250,005.

This invention relates to improvements in vertical hot liquid pumps, and refers more particularly to a pump construction adapted to mechanically force liquids at high temperatures, such as hot -oil which is pumped through mains and pipes in a refinery or m cracking or "distillation installations where cooling of the oil or liquid necessitates considerable heat loss which is of considerable monetary value in refinery operation.

The single figure is a side elevational view of the pump' with parts in section and parts broken away. 1

Referring to the drawing, the pump is pr1- marily adapted for pumping out receptacles such as distillation drums, evaporation chambers, bubble towers or fractionating towers of any sort. While the following explanation will be predicated primarily upon its use in oil refineries, the pump is as well adapted to the pumping of any liquid diflicult to handle due to high temperatures and pressures.

A further advantage of the construction is that the pump is adapted to handle fluids including both liquids and vapor without be coming vapor-bound, and is so constructed that it can handle considerable quantities of liquid by the use of a relatlvely small amount of power.

In the drawing, the pump is shown hooked up to a bubble tower, 'a portion of which is shown at 1. The pump itself consists of a casin 2 connected .by a vapor pipe 3 and-a liqui pipe 4 by means of flange connections to corresponding vapor and liquid pipes communicating with the-interior of the bubble tower.

The tubular casing 2 isclosed at its top by means of a head 5 flanged, bolted and gasketed to the top of the pump shelL- At a suitable height on the shell is a liquid level control device designated as a whole by the numeral 6. The control is built into the side of the shell and forms an integral part of the shell. The details of this control device form no part of the patentable novelty of the present application.

The level control manipulates a diaphragm valve in the outlet pipe which is connected to the discharge volute in which at the bottom of the shell this volute includes not only the flanged discharge connection but also the lower enclosure head 8 which in turn includes the casing for the lower ump rotor 9.

Above the upper head and insulated by a heavy layer of material shown at 10 is the motor support 11 surmounted upon which is a motor casing 12. An electric motor within this casing is directly connected to the shaft 00 13 of the pump. This shaft is jointed at 14 by a splined joint or otherwise to the pum shaft 15. On-the pump shaft are mounte the upper rotor 16 and a lower rotor 9. In the drawing but two rotors or two stages of a multi-stage pump are shown. According to the capacity desired these rotors or stages of the centrifugal pump may be increased or decreased as may be necessary.

As suggested, he lower closure of the shell 7 constitutes the casing for the bottom rotor.

A lower cap 17 bolted to the lower closure 8 holds the bottom bearing for the pump shaft and assures alignment of the pumpshaft. The casing for the upper stage of rotor 16 is designated as 18 in the drawing, and this casing is held in place by the bolts 19 which extend through the flange of the top closure 20 and through the bottom flange portions of the casing 18. The cross-overs 21 from the so upper to the lower stage are formed integral with the pump casing. In the top closure 20 of the pump casing is the inlet bell 22 which permits the liquid to enter the first stage of the pump from above, and this inlet is at all times submerged in the liquid maintained at a level by the liquid level control device 6.

A baflle 23 positioned above the inlet prevents avortex forming in the liquid above the inlet bell. The top baflie is supplemented by vertical fins 24 which prevent the whirling movement of the liquid as it is introduced to the pump. The shaft where it enters the removable head or casing has a pressure-tight stufling bo'x diagrammatically shown at 25, 96 which may be tightened without dismantling the pump, by means of the hand wheel 26 whose rotation is transmitted through the bell crank 27 and link 28 to the stufling box. An advantage of having the stufing box in the upper part of the pump shell is that it must retain only the vapor-pressure rather than liquid pressure, and consequently can be made to withstand pressures over considerably reater periods oftime without leaking. also the stuffing box is cooled by cooling liquid supplied through the pipe 29 and discharged through the pipe 30. This cooling liquid may be either water, oil, glycerin or any other suitable fluid.

A further advantage of the pump construction is the fact that the rotors and pump casing may be entirely removed from the shell for repair or replacement by removing the bolts 31 holding the lower enclosure to the shell and then disconnecting the pump shaft 15 at the connection 14. The construction also oflersa pump construction which may be mounted without foundation upon brackets attached to the side of the chambers, containers or towers, thus eliminating expensive foundations.

Due to'the fact that the inlet mouth is at all times submerged, the pump cannot become vapor-bound, the liquid passing into the inlet bell and being discharged from the periphery of the first rotor 16 through the crossover 21 to the second stage or rotor 9 and thence out through the discharge volute 7. This rotary or centrifugal multi-stage pump arrangement requires but relatively little power toopcrate, handling large quantities of liquid at high velocity. Furthermore the construction eliminates difliculties heretofore experienced with hot stufling boxes, gasketed connections and innumerable other disadvantages accompanying hot oil or hot liquid pump construction.

The main shaft bears in the head 5, also in the top closure of the pump casing and in the bottom closure. An equalizing pipe 32 connects the lower cap 17 with the discharge volute to equalize the pressure in these two sections of the pump.

As suggested, the pump may be used not only for hot oil but for hot water in steam boiler practice, for hot distillates or liquids which must be pumped from place to place in many different types of plants or installations where it is desired to move liquids without reducing their temperatures. 5

A hand hold plate may be positioned in the side of the shell 2 adjacent the shaft concharge line whereby a liquid level is maintained upon the pump suction.

2. A reservoir and centrifugal pump assembly comprising a centrifugal pump having a vertical drive shaft, an open top suction mouth, an enclosed liquid and vapor space above the suction mouth for the accumulation of liquid and vapor, means for maintaining a controlled liquid level in said space, a liquid discharge line from the pump and communicating liquid and vapor lines between the reservoir and the space above the pump.

3. A reservoir and centrifugal pump assembly comprising a vertically positioned centrifugal pump having an open top suction month, an enclosure above the mouth for the accumulation of liquid and vapor, a valved discharge line from the pump, a liquid level control device manipulating the valve on the discharge line for maintaining a constant liquid head above the suction mouth of the pump, and communicating liquid and vapor lines between the reservoir and enclosure above the pump.

4. A submerged centrifugal oil pump having a vertical shaft and positioned entirely within a drum, said drum having an open top, a flange cover for said open to motor means mounted on said cover, a sha t gland and an oil seal therefor. in said cover, a discharge outlet for said pump through the bottom portion of said drum, an inlet port near the bottom and an outlet port near the top of said drum.

5. A submerged multistage sectionalized centrifugal oil pump having a vertical shaft and positioned entirely within a drum, said drum having an open top, a flange cover for said open top, motor means mounted on said cover, a shaft gland and an oil seal therefor in said cover, a discharge outlet for said pump through the bottom portion of said drum, an inlet port near the bottom and an outlet port near the top of said drum, said bottom portion comprising a flange member bolted to said drum and having formed therein the volute chamber of the high pressure stage of said pump.

CHARLES WALCOTT STRATFORD.

nections 14 to facilitate the disconnecting of the shaft.

I claim as my invention: 1. A reservoir and centrifugal pump assembly comprising a centrifugal pump hav- 7 ing an open top suction mouth connected by liquid and vapor lines to a reservoir, a liquid and vapor space above the suction mouth of the pump, a. controlled liquid discharge line connected to the pump, a liquid level control manipulating the control on the pump dis- 

